MEMPHIS – Brimming with growth potential – but also bracing for some initial growing pains – the young and improving Grizzlies are eager to embark on a new journey this season.
Optimism abounds. But so do another set of key questions facing a team that exceeded expectations last season. Now, second-year coach Taylor Jenkins aims to continue building with one of the NBA’s youngest rosters, powered by talented big man Jaren Jackson Jr. and point guard Ja Morant, the league’s reigning Rookie of the Year.
As the Grizzlies prepare for Saturday’s preseason opener at the Minnesota Timberwolves, our five-person broadcasters ‘Grindtable’ will break down three key storylines each week. Just consider it a 5-on-3 break, with the most talented and knowledgeable broadcast team in the league filling the lanes and scoring big on each insightful point.
Joining me on this week’s panel are Grizzlies TV broadcasters Pete Pranica, Brevin Knight and Rob Fischer, along with Grizzlies pregame, halftime and postgame radio host Jessica Benson.
What’s the biggest/most important question facing the Grizzlies entering this season?
Can this young and talented team learn how to close out games? The Grizzlies lost double-digit leads in 14 games this past season, again among the league leaders in that dubious category. Take even half of those games back into the win column and the Grizzlies are into the playoffs. Learning how to close out games has to be high on the list of priorities for Jenkins and crew. They certainly showed capability in that regard last season, with the Brooklyn win at home and the Charlotte game on the road. However, in order to be elite, the Grizzlies will have to be able to build and consistently protect leads until the final buzzer.
I think their biggest question is when will Justise Winslow and Jackson be back healthy? If they can stay healthy, it’s one of the deepest teams we’ve ever had.
What does Winslow look like? His debut for the Grizzlies has now been delayed as many times as the movie Tenet was this summer. But through it all, the message from his coaches and teammates hasn’t changed: he’s an all-around playmaker who can play multiple positions, guard multiple positions and who fits perfectly into the Grizzlies’ system. I believe them. I’m just ready to see it with my own eyeballs.
The biggest question facing the Grizzlies is the biggest question facing every team. It’s about staying healthy. The Grizzlies will start with Jackson out for a while and Winslow still on the shelf. The length of their absences could be a question mark if they go too far into January. Plus, staying healthy through COVID-19 will be a challenge for all teams. Hopefully, the Grizzlies can stay healthy the majority of the season, and we can see what they’re like at full strength.
Can they generate enough consistent offense to compensate for the injury absences of Jackson and Winslow? That issue plagued the Grizzlies in the Orlando bubble, and those questions remain relatively unanswered despite some promising young depth. We know Ja and Jonas Valanciunas can combine for 50 points basically any and every night. But routinely finding the additional 60 likely needed for a shot to win most games could be a major early obstacle.
The Grizzlies biggest strength this season is…
Unquestionably, Memphis’ biggest asset is its versatility. The Grizzlies front office has stocked the roster with the so-called “Swiss Army Knife” players that can do multiple things well. To have guys that can play — and more importantly, guard — multiple positions is vital. With Jaren and Justise out to start the season, the depth and versatility of the roster will be especially critical as the Grizzlies try to get off to a strong start.
Their biggest strength is continuity. They brought back everyone and that should give them a little edge over the teams that made multiple moves.
The most obvious answer is continuity, so I’ll go for something different and say youth. An “unprecedented season” isn’t all that mind-blowing when you only have a couple seasons under your belt; or in the case of Ja Morant, a single season that ended in a weird bubble at Disney World with unlimited Mickey Mouse shaped waffles. Young people are super adaptable. They don’t know any differently.
Their continuity and youth. Having continuity as a young team is so very important, especially considering there wasn’t much of an offseason. The core players and the head coach will have the ability to grow and learn together in year two. The Grizzlies’ youth benefits the teams in numerous ways. First, you expect Ja, Jaren, Brandon Clarke, De’Anthony Melton and Grayson Allen to all take another step. Secondly, with a shortened offseason and condensed schedule, I think a youthful team can more easily go through the rigors of what will be a difficult season. Advantage Grizzlies.
Versatility. Just about everyone at Jenkins’ disposal is capable of playing multiple positions. There are a lot of interchangeable parts, and that should make the Grizzlies a havoc-wreaking defensive team that can switch or rotate seamlessly. Everyone has long arms and most are uber-athletic and love to run. A squad that ranked among the NBA’s best at disrupting passing lanes, forcing turnovers and creating transition should quickly pick up where it left off.
The player set to make the biggest leap for the Grizzlies this season will be…
I’m tempted to say Ja Morant, because he has considerable upside and the burning desire to be truly elite. However, I’m going to go with Grayson Allen. The superficial analysis of him is that he’s simply a jump-shooter, but that’s far from a complete scout. He said in camp this year that he’s trying to expand his game (remember his floaters in Orlando in the seeding games?) so that teams can’t simply sell out on him as a three-point shooter. He’s smart and savvy enough to figure out how to get the shots that he wants instead of settling for what the opposition wants him to take. I don’t think the 20-point games he posted in the bubble were a fluke. Allen has a chance to be a dynamic sixth man for the Grizzlies.
Grayson Allen, as long as he can stay healthy. We saw flashes of him being able to knock down threes, but also put it on the floor in the bubble. I’m eager to see, can he build on that?
If Dillon Brooks is to be believed and Jaren Jackson Jr. really did grow 2-3 inches taller, then literally speaking, JJJ will make the biggest leap. But, I’m going with De’Anthony Melton. Mr. Do Something gets to prove he was worth the extra dollars and years Memphis gave him this off-season. Numbers don’t lie… except with someone like De’Anthony, because while his stats last season weren’t gaudy, his actual impact, especially defensively, was clutch. I’m banking on him to make an offensive leap, finish better at the basket and knock down some much needed threes.
Ja Morant. There was progression from Ja every month last season. There was also progression in the bubble. Why wouldn’t you expect to see more progression in year two as he starts to “figure things out”! Think of all the times Ja just missed making the exceptional play. He makes those in year two. Think of the times he was quicker with a decision than his teammates were last year. That comfort level with teammates will be greatly improved. Ja was so much fun to watch his rookie season. I can’t wait to see what year two brings!
I’m going to cheat and go with who should be obvious – Justise Winslow. Technically, he gave the Grizzlies nothing beyond high hopes and potential last season. That’s because his initial recovery from a back injury after arriving from Miami at the trade deadline was followed by a hip injury that derailed his debut in the Orlando bubble restart. That means Winslow didn’t actually produce a thing for Memphis, so to speak. But when healthy, perhaps in a few weeks, he’s a capable 20-pt scorer and general stat stuffer. Production-wise, that’ll be a massive leap.
(Catch Pranica, Knight and Fischer on FOX Sports Southeast’s Grizzlies game-night coverage, and listen to Benson on 92.9 FM ESPN Radio, the Grizzlies radio flagship station)
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